ASU PhD student tackles climate change and extreme weather
Photo by Qin Huang
What if we could predict and manage extreme weather events before they strike? For Qin Huang, that’s not just a question — it’s the driving force behind her research.
Huang, a first-year PhD student in the School of Complex Adaptive Systems and the College of Global Futures, has a strong academic foundation in environmental studies and engineering.
She has a deep passion for understanding the impact of extreme weather events. Before joining ASU, Huang completed her Master’s degree in Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University, where she focused on water resources and climate risks. One key area of her work focuses on Atmospheric Rivers (ARs), a major weather phenomenon that significantly impacts water resources and climate extremes. She is developing machine learning models to predict AR events and control their impacts, with an emphasis on understanding how water vapor transport and jet stream dynamics contribute to extreme rainfall on the West Coast.
A key milestone in Huang’s journey came with the recognition of her research at the 2025 CSDMS Annual Meeting. Huang was awarded a Travel Scholarship from CSDMS to present her work at the 2025 CSDMS Annual Meeting at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research focuses on modeling wildfire dynamics, human behavior and power supply disruptions using agent-based models.
"Presenting at this meeting will allow me to engage with experts in the field of surface dynamics modeling, share my findings on tipping points, cascading impacts, and infrastructure failures during extreme events, and receive valuable feedback that will help refine my model and expand its application," Huang said.
Huang credits much of her academic success to the resources and support provided by the College of Global Futures.
“The faculty here is incredibly knowledgeable, accessible, and friendly, providing both academic and professional support in a collaborative environment. I feel truly fortunate to be part of this community,” Huang said.
Moreover, Huang was offered a Graduate Research Associate position with a stipend and tuition grants, which has been a significant help in supporting her ongoing research.
According to her professor, Bryan Daniels, an assistant professor in the School of Complex Adaptive Systems, Huang demonstrates exceptional dedication and ability in the field of complex systems research.
“Qin quickly identified the dynamics of wildfires, particularly as they interact with housing developments and electrical infrastructure, as her project focus,” Daniels said. “She constructed a comprehensive computational framework to simulate these wildfires and began to explore how people might make decisions about when to flee from their homes.”
Looking ahead, Huang’s research ambitions include expanding the scope of her adaptive models to address a broader range of weather extremes. She aims to investigate how environmental, societal and technological systems can be integrated to reduce community vulnerability to these risks.
"Ultimately, I hope to find engineering solutions or management strategies that will reduce the exposure and risks associated with these extreme events," Huang shared.
In addition to her academic research, Huang is actively involved in the ASU community. She co-founded the Aquanauts student organization, which focuses on water research and sustainability. Through this organization, Huang works to engage students with professionals in the field and promote community service.
As she moves forward in her career, Huang is eager to continue contributing to solutions that address climate challenges and build resilient communities.